North Korea test-fires multiple anti-ship cruise missiles

PUBLISHED Wed, June 07, 2017 - 6:45pm EDT

Credit: KCNA

North Korea has test-fired a salvo of short-range cruise missiles, the South's military says, just over a week after another missile test. The latest test is believed to have involved anti-ship missiles but details are limited. (more)

The missiles were launched on early Thursday morning near the eastern port city of Wonsan in Kangwon Province, the South's military said. The surface-to-ship cruise missiles flew about 200 kilometers (124 miles) before falling into the water off its eastern coast.

It was not immediately clear how many missiles had been fired as an assessment was still underway.

The Japanese government confirmed that multiple projectiles were fired but provided no further information. And there was no immediate comment from U.S. Pacific Command, which typically provides a preliminary analysis within a few hours of a missile launch.

Responding to the missile launches, the South's military said it has beefed up surveillance and vigilance against the possibility of additional provocations, the Yonhap news agency reported. Japan, meanwhile, said it would work on a response with the United States and South Korea.

Thursday's test comes after months of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, fueled by North Korea's missile tests and its advancing nuclear weapons program, as well as U.S. military exercises and statements by U.S. President Donald Trump.

North Korea has carried out a series of missile tests over the past few months. Most importantly, on May 13, North Korea test-fired a newly-developed mid-to-long range ballistic missile which reached an altitude of 2,111 kilometers (1,311 miles) and flew 787 kilometers (489 miles).

North Korea hailed the launch as a major success and said the Hwasong-12 missile was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missile's extreme height suggests it would be capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, a significant development for North Korea's missile technology.

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